Agenda item

12.1

The Head of Waste Management and Highways Maintenance introduced the report which set out a new approach to managing the competing demands on the Council’s urban verges around the city, including options for protection measures to prevent anti-social parking, establishment of wildflowers and community funded tree planting.

12.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee approves:-

1.     The new Grass Verge and Community Funded Street Tree Planting Policies as outlined in appendix 1.

2.     That the Council’s Ecology Section (alongside the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust) be permitted to give residents advice on appropriate wildflower species for grassed areas near their homes.

3.     That Local Area Committees, Citizens and Elected Members have a greater suite of verge protection measures made available to them and for bespoke verge protection measures to be applied where safe/appropriate to do so.

4.     That authority be delegated to the Head of Highways Maintenance to develop the ‘Trees for Streets’ offer for Sheffield in consultation with the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership.

12.3

Reasons for Decision

12.3.1

Approval of the recommendations will allow:

·       An increase in the number of areas of wildflowers and areas on reduced grass cutting cycles in suburban areas in keeping with resident desires and the consultation outcomes.

·       The rollout of a community tree planting website and crowdfunding portal for the planting of trees in protecting verges from anti-social parking practices as well as improving the aesthetic and climate resilience of neighbourhoods in 2023.

·       Key stakeholders such as the Wildlife Trust and Council’s Ecology Section to engage with interested Local Area Committees, residents and elected members and provide specialist technical input around wildflowers and rewilding in their community.

·       A suite of verge protection measures being made available to each Local Area Committee in accordance with consultation results for verge protection schemes to be deployed where appropriate on a bespoke basis, reflecting the needs, identity and use of each neighbourhood. These steps will all cumulatively contribute positively to the city’s response to the declared Nature Emergency.

12.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

12.4.1

An alternative model which would enable residents to cultivate, seed and maintain their own wildflower verges directly outside their properties licensed under Section 142 of the Highways Act 1980 was explored.

12.4.2

This piece of legislation requires the homeowner must indemnify the highway authority against any claim in respect of injury, damage or loss arising out of management and maintenance of that area of the public highway. The Council therefore requires homeowners to have specific Public Liability Insurance for this purpose, which exhaustive searches of the market proved unattainable for the average citizen.

12.4.3

An alternative model where the Council would cut, collect, transport and dispose of grass clippings was previously explored as per the recommendations of the Wildlife Trust to optimise conditions for wildflower establishment.

12.4.4

This model was found to be financially prohibitive, requiring not only a full re-procurement of fleet and more stop/start approach to grass verge cutting which would result in slower progress and more operatives being required to deliver the service – but would also generate additional carbon through additional vehicle mileage in transporting of vast quantities of grass clippings across the city.

12.4.5

Highways Maintenance Division will therefore instead provide a quotation to Local Area Committees, members of scheme leads for sowing of Yellow Rattle as a natural grass sward suppressant, and let key interested stakeholders such as the Wildlife Trust and Council’s Ecology Section extoll the benefits of residents raking off and home composting arisings from grass cutting activities.

11.1

The Head of Waste Management and Highways Maintenance introduced the report which set out a new approach to managing the competing demands on the Council’s urban verges around the city, including options for protection measures to prevent anti-social parking, establishment of wildflowers and community funded tree planting.

11.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That the Waste and Street Scene Policy Committee approves:-

1. The new Grass Verge and Community Funded Street Tree Planting Policies as outlined in appendix 1.
   
   
2. That the Council’s Ecology Section (alongside the Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust) be permitted to give residents advice on appropriate wildflower species for grassed areas near their homes.
   
   
3. That Local Area Committees, Citizens and Elected Members have a greater suite of verge protection measures made available to them and for bespoke verge protection measures to be applied where safe/appropriate to do so.
   
   
4. That authority be delegated to the Head of Highways Maintenance to develop the ‘Trees for Streets’ offer for Sheffield in consultation with the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership.

11.3

Reasons for Decision

11.3.1

Approval of the recommendations will allow:

·       An increase in the number of areas of wildflowers and areas on reduced grass cutting cycles in suburban areas in keeping with resident desires and the consultation outcomes.

·       The rollout of a community tree planting website and crowdfunding portal for the planting of trees in protecting verges from anti-social parking practices as well as improving the aesthetic and climate resilience of neighbourhoods in 2023.

·       Key stakeholders such as the Wildlife Trust and Council’s Ecology Section to engage with interested Local Area Committees, residents and elected members and provide specialist technical input around wildflowers and rewilding in their community.

·       A suite of verge protection measures being made available to each Local Area Committee in accordance with consultation results for verge protection schemes to be deployed where appropriate on a bespoke basis, reflecting the needs, identity and use of each neighbourhood. These steps will all cumulatively contribute positively to the city’s response to the declared Nature Emergency.

11.4

Alternatives Considered and Rejected

11.4.1

An alternative model which would enable residents to cultivate, seed and maintain their own wildflower verges directly outside their properties licensed under Section 142 of the Highways Act 1980 was explored.

11.4.2

This piece of legislation requires the homeowner must indemnify the highway authority against any claim in respect of injury, damage or loss arising out of management and maintenance of that area of the public highway. The Council therefore requires homeowners to have specific Public Liability Insurance for this purpose, which exhaustive searches of the market proved unattainable for the average citizen.

11.4.3

An alternative model where the Council would cut, collect, transport and dispose of grass clippings was previously explored as per the recommendations of the Wildlife Trust to optimise conditions for wildflower establishment.

11.4.4

This model was found to be financially prohibitive, requiring not only a full re-procurement of fleet and more stop/start approach to grass verge cutting which would result in slower progress and more operatives being required to deliver the service – but would also generate additional carbon through additional vehicle mileage in transporting of vast quantities of grass clippings across the city.

11.4.5

Highways Maintenance Division will therefore instead provide a quotation to Local Area Committees, members of scheme leads for sowing of Yellow Rattle as a natural grass sward suppressant, and let key interested stakeholders such as the Wildlife Trust and Council’s Ecology Section extoll the benefits of residents raking off and home composting arisings from grass cutting activities.